We need to lighten up a little and deal with some GOP follies. Once upon a time, long ago in a galaxy far far away – maybe four years ago, the GOP was a rational political party. Then the tea parties were created for the Kochs and by the Kochs. Ron Paul’s lovely little loons began terrorizing anyone who disagreed with them. Jim DeMint began destroying anyone who had an ounce of integrity, and what you see is what you get – pure, unadulterated crap. Sure, it’s a messy way of putting it, but we have a mess on our hands.

Far right loons have taken over Montana. They have allowed a bill, that would let local high sheriff’s to arrest federal agents, to pass out of committee. Never mind that the bill is completely unconstitutional. Now they want to give corporations the right to vote. Fortunately, the bill was tabled. They also have a bill going out that would allow anyone in the state to conceal carry.

What the far right doesn’t want to think about, when trying to deny contraceptives to women, is that not every woman wants to have a child. In a free world, women should be allowed to pick and chose. If she doesn’t want to have a child, why should she be forced to pay for contraceptives if insurance coverage is available? It’s not the contraceptives that are expensive. It is the invasive, yearly, needles medical exams that go with it – costly, usually up to $700 an appointment, just to get a prescription of birth control pills.

Think Progress

The Pink Flamingo doesn’t care about the Democrats and their loony tunes. I’m still a Republican. I can’t stomach much of what is going on because they are allowing far right loons to turn the party into an embarrassment. This said, I just like this screen shot.

Salon

I am a Christian. I DO NOT want my child, if I were to have one, in a public school with a religious based curriculum. If I wanted that, they would be in a parochial school. But, not this:

“...With the money of wealth funders like Richard and Betsy DeVos (sister of Blackwater scion Eric Prince and daughter of Elsa and Edgar Prince of the Amway fortune) and the Walton, Koch and Scaife Foundations, simpatico politicians are hard at work bringing Dominionist ideals quietly into the forefront of American education policy. While much of the country argues about budgets, deficits, and guns, a cleverly camouflaged package of School Choice and ”Bible-driven curricula“ make their way up the ladder.

On the surface, School Choice is purportedly about increasing opportunities for inner city and rural youth. The all-important subtext, however, is that School Choice is really about freeing up dollars for Christian-based education. An important arrow that energizes today’s religious quiver is the intentional misuse of language in changing the debate by referring to public schools as “government schools” and public education as a “government school monopoly,” thus instantly and directly speaking to Tea Partiers and Libertarians.

To still relatively scant notice, the call for “School Choice” or Vouchers continues to play out in state capitols across the nation in an effort to increase Biblically based education through a redirection of tax dollars from public to private religious schools. In order to accomplish the end goal of Christianizing all students, stealth remains largely the rule of the day. In 2002, Dick DeVos told The Heritage Foundation,

“We need to be cautious about talking too much about these activities. Many of the activities and the political work that needs to go on will go on at the grass roots. It will go on quietly and it will go on in the form that often politics is done – one person at a time, speaking to another person in privacy. And so these issues will not be, maybe, as visible or as noteworthy, but they will set a framework within states for the possibility of action on education reform issues.”…”

The House has made a disaster of the Violence Against Women Act. It should be called something like the Domestic Violence Act. It’s too bad the far right doesn’t understand that men are also the victims of violence.

PoliticusUSA

Ted Cruz is seeing Commies everywhere. I guess he learned all about it at home, with his parents.

“...The man whose father fought with Castro thinks that he is more American and more patriotic than his political opponents. So American that he can accuse them of being Commies intent on overthrowing the US government and no one will laugh in his face. This is called jumping the Commie shark.

Even better, the Tea Party (home of the birthers) is salivating at the idea of Cruz as President. Yeah, because his father fought with Castro and that is so much better than being black.

Republicans miss the good old days when they were winning with red scares and Cold War policy. Denied that, they have turned inward on their own country. Luckily, Republicans have an endless parade of disposable clowns who are willing to sacrifice their long term political goals for the short term gains of today’s imaginary battle…”

The far right has lost all vestiges of reality. They worship someone like Ted Nugent who is a sick piece of work. They fall for every fear tactic scam out there, no matter what. If you dare say anything against these people, they go after you.

SJR Twitter Feed

In Oklahoma there is a bill that would make it ‘legal’ for a student to criticize climate change. A student should be allowed to criticize any science or scientific theory, and get a passing grade for it, if the paper is readable, well written, and provides sources, even lousy ones. Science is about give and take, always open to new views. To not allow a person to criticize a prevailing theory is what happened a few years ago when a certain astronomer went up against the Vatican. It did not end well. The astronomer eventually won and the Vatican is still dealing with the embarrassing fall-out.

Look, while The Pink Flamingo thinks that we are undergoing climate change, I do not think it is man made. I’ve studied too much history and read way too much science to even give it more than a passing glance. Weather happens. Geology happens. One good stiff pyroclastic explosion and global warming is nothing but a fond dream.

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SJ Reidhead (aka The Pink Flamingo) is a writer based in New Mexico. The author of two published novels, both westerns: Dust Devil and The Second Mrs. Earp and two published works of non-fictions: TRAVESTY: Frank Waters Earp Agenda Exposed and A Church for Helldorado, Endicott Peabody's 1882 Tombstone Diary. One of the leading authorities on the life of Wyatt Earp and Tombstone during the Earp years, she is currently writing a series of murder mysteries set in modern day Tombstone. The author is also working on a book about fashion in the Wild West. When complete, there will be over 2100 unpublished antique photographs dating from 1855-1910.

The author's work has appeared in Wild West, True West, Blogcritics, and The Tombstone Times. Recently the author has had to deal with a father who succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease. This is leading to a book dealing with the frustrations of dealing with the frustrations of the disease, finance, legal, health-care, and things no one bothers telling families about it. She is currently working on a murder mystery series set in modern day Tombstone and Cochise County. Several books of essays on Christian living are currently in edits. A book of essays and revisions of articles about Wyatt Earp has been completed and will include her latest work detailing her theory about the murder of his second wife, Mattie.

SJ Reidhead has been involved in Republican politics since she was 'a little kid'. During the Reagan years she was a lobbyist working with various non-profit organizations who were attempting to salvage NASA and the American space program after the disastrous Carter years. In spite of ups and downs, and numerous disappointments, politically, it is obvious the only political hope for this country is via the Republican Party. Along with politics she is an opera fanatic, has been known to stalk baritones to the point of being a baritone junkie, and loves baseball.

The Pink Flamingo went on line on October 4, 2005.

THE PINK FLAMINGO STORY

It started out as a joke. During the seven years I worked with the girls of my parish, leading a youth group, one of the things that I stressed were manners. Part of having manners, the way I see it, is to know how to set a proper table, host a party, cater it, and clean up afterward. I was fortunate enough to have a group of very talented girls in my youth group. They learned how to plan for, and execute large church functions, very properly. During one such function I noticed there were several incredibly tacky pink flamingos sitting on the table. Knowing the girls were up to something, I said nothing. A few months later they did the same thing at a function I was hosting at my home. I said nothing. They had a birthday party for me. More pink flamingos appeared - and a joke was born.

Thanks to the girls, all of whom are now grown, I have a collection of pink flamingos. It has become an ongoing joke. When I began working on my political blog, I realized the only possibly title was The Pink Flamingo!